Application of Case-Based Learning Combined with PDCA in the Training of Grassroot Surgeons for the Updates in the CSCO Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Breast (2023).

Background: In county-level hospitals in China, there is a need to enhance the understanding and implementation of the updates in the Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Breast Cancer.

Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of case-based learning (CBL) integrated with the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle in improving the knowledge and skills of surgeons related to the most recent Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Breast Cancer. Eighty surgeons from county-level hospitals were recruited and randomly assigned to two groups for a comparative study: one experiencing CBL alone and the other receiving CBL combined with the PDCA cycle.

Methods: Participants in both groups underwent a 5-day breast cancer therapeutic strategy course. The effectiveness of these methodologies was assessed using pretraining and post-training tests, examinations, and a satisfaction questionnaire. Statistical analysis was conducted to compare the knowledge gains between the two groups using pretraining and post-training assessment scores, with the significance level set at P < 0.05.

Results: Both instructional methods resulted in knowledge improvement, but the group that received CBL with PDCA demonstrated significantly higher scores on post-training tests, particularly regarding updates in guidelines (80% vs 76%, P = 0.002) and accuracy in case-based therapeutic plans (92% vs 83%, P < 0.001).

Conclusion: The study concludes that the integration of the PDCA cycle with CBL significantly enhances the surgeons' acquisition and application of updated therapeutic knowledge and skills for breast cancer.